How Seeley Booth Got His Day Back
by Dispatch22705
Summary: Booth realizes that he missed out on one of his Fantasy Days, and yet somehow decides it’s HIS job to make it up to Brennan. Turns out, he decides to make up for a lot of lost time. Established B&B relationship-based in previous Fantasy and Reality Weeks.


**Hello, BONES darlings! This story serves as an epilogue/wrap up to the Fantasy and Reality Weeks I've already written. It's rated M, which you should know since you clicked that M button at the top of this screen.**

**Thanks to all of you who have been so encouraging for all of these 'weeks'. It all started as one germ of an idea (the high school fantasy of Fantasy Week: Booth Edition: Thursday), and well, look how that turned out!**

**But onto this 'chapter'. It has somewhat of a different feel than the other chapters, and I'm honestly not sure if you are going to like it or not, but I hope you like it. It's almost like a little cluster of vignettes, plus, I dabbled in a little literary device called Flashback; hope that's okay with you!**

**Also, it was fun for me when Booth and Brennan were talking about math in the last episode, because I already had this little section written up. But I have to admit that what REALLY inspired me to finish this up was the preview for The Goop on the Girl. Oh, _mama!_ I think 'just evidence' is the new 'just partners'!**

**--b&b—**

**Set one month after the end of Fantasy Week: Brennan Edition**

**Saturday**

**8:30 AM**

Brennan groaned at the sunlight pouring through her bedroom curtains and reached for her pillow to place it over her head as she rolled closer toward the middle of the bed. Expecting to feel warmth from her partner, she cracked open one eye when she realized he was gone. A frown creased against her forehead as she tried to figure out why he wouldn't be there, but she couldn't come to any conclusion other than some Parker related issue or something for work. Realizing that she wasn't going to sleep more without him, she rolled over and off of the bed, stripping her nightgown off before walking into their bathroom to turn on the shower. Under the heated spray, she smoothed her hands over her body and wondered about what Booth had in mind for the day. Brennan shampooed her hair and shaved her legs and then turned off her shower. She used her hairdryer on her hair for a few moments, just to prevent frizziness, but decided to let it air dry as she made some breakfast. She pulled on a pair of jeans and a slim black turtleneck sweater to ward off the chill in her apartment.

As she walked toward her kitchen, she noticed his keys were gone and that his jacket wasn't hanging on the hook near the door, either. Frowning, she opened her cell phone to call him, but when she heard it ring on the kitchen counter, she realized she had no way of getting in touch with him.

Staring at his cell phone for a moment, she didn't notice the knock on her door. But when her visitor knocked again, Brennan blinked and set her phone down, smoothing her hands down her sides as she walked toward her door. Without looking to see who it was, she unlocked the door and opened it.

"Booth?"

He stood across the threshold in his gray suit, one hand cupping a tray with two cups of coffee. His eyes were serious, and for a moment, she saw uncertainty, almost as if…

But then he was setting the coffee on the ground, and before she knew it, he was cupping her face in his hands and kissing her as if he couldn't wait another moment to do so…

**~~b&b~~**

**The previous evening:**

**Friday: 10 PM:**

Booth walked up the final set of stairs to his apartment, and took his key to unlock and open the door. "Anyone home?" he joked as he shrugged out of his suit jacket and hung his keys on the hook near the door. He smiled as he walked into the living room and saw his partner in his new recliner, her hair fanned over the back, her body encased in one of his black dress shirts. Oh, she was sexy. But it looked like she was working, so he didn't want to bother her much. "Hey, baby."

Brennan looked up from her anthropology article and used the remote to mute the National Geographic special she'd been listening to. "Hey, Booth."

When she started to get up, he stopped her and lifted her up, moving to sit on the black leather, pulling her back into his lap. She didn't complain and just settled against his chest. It was one of the things Booth had been most surprised about her. She enjoyed being close to him physically, and didn't mind when he wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin against her shoulder.

"Finish the case?"

Booth nodded and kissed her back once before turning her in his arms to face him. "Yep."

She sighed, and he saw the pain in her eyes before they met his. "This one was bad, Booth. I mean, technically, murder is _always bad_; it's not that there are good ones, but still…"

"Yeah, I know."

Just like he'd also known she'd be up waiting for him. She'd helped him identify the murderer earlier in the day, but it had taken him the rest of the evening to finish up all of his paperwork and interrogations, not to mention the interview with the other suspects and family members, just to make sure they hadn't left anything out. This was not a case they could afford to lose in court over some technicality. She settled back against his chest and turned the TV volume back up, resting her hands on his thighs. Booth joined his fingers with hers and smiled to himself at the way things were working out. While they still certainly bickered, they both had to admit that their new living arrangements had worked out pretty well. He'd wondered what it would be like to move into her apartment, if he'd feel awkward about her territory, but he soon realized that it didn't matter where they lived; she was what mattered. Coming home to her, with her, for her, all of that…he loved it. Booth was distracted from his thoughts by the sounds coming from the tv, sounds of grunting and hissing, combined with the low tone of a commentator's voice.

"Jeez, Bones…what the hell is this, Animal Planet porn?" His voice was gruff, and he clamped his hands to the armrests of the chair as he tried to look away from the screen.

She hit mute and then turned to face him with a frown. "I don't know what that means. What animal planet? Animals exist on Earth, Booth."

One of his eyes squinted as he tried to determine if she was messing with him. Deciding at least on this point she wasn't, he ran his hand up her back to cup her neck under her hair, "Animal Planet is a TV channel about animal stuff. On Earth," he clarified.

"Oh…that makes more sense." She leaned down and pressed her lips to his, and Booth was surprised by the intensity of her kiss combined with the way she turned her body and tried to straddle his hips. The dimensions of the chair made it somewhat difficult, but the rocking motion it created was surprisingly arousing.

"Were you trying to ramp me up, Bones?" he murmured against her neck, realizing for the first time that she wasn't wearing a bra underneath his shirt. He smoothed his hand up her thighs, almost not wanting to know if she was wearing underwear or not. Sure enough…his fingertips found only bare skin, only warm silk, and he swallowed. "Holy cow, Bones…"

Her fingers tightened in the hair at the back of his neck and she leaned down to kiss him again. "Are you…_ramped up_?"

Of course she would get _that_ metaphor, Booth thought to himself as he blinked, returning her kiss, even as both of his hands settled in the sweet crease of her thighs, spreading them over his hips.

"I'd say you're up for sure…" she teased, grinding down a little, stealing his breath.

"Bones…" Booth hissed, incapable from keeping his own hips from grinding up into hers. "What? How…?"

But she just rubbed her body against him, kissing all around his mouth. Booth's eyes rolled back in his head at the sensation. When he groaned and cupped her ass to keep her from moving, her mouth fell open on a moan and she arched back, just as turned on as he was.

"Okay, what gives?" he gasped. "What's going on?"

Brennan eyed him for a moment before biting her bottom lip. "You've had a bad day. We both did, somewhat. While certainly solving the case provides some satisfaction, I find there are still lingering…thoughts that must be processed in the aftermath. Oftentimes, those thoughts leave me agitated and on edge, and I think the same is true for you…"

Booth pulled in a deep breath, even as his hands settled against the small of her back, spanning her waist, his thumbs rubbing gently against her hips. "So you wanted to help me. You figured I'd be on edge, and…"

She shrugged a shoulder. "And maybe not aware of what you needed to take the edge off, or…" she trailed off, not quite meeting his eyes, even as her own fingers began to loosen his tie from around his neck.

"Or what, Bones?"

Brennan swallowed and met his eyes for a fraction of a second before moving back to his neckline. "Or maybe you would be aware but unwilling to ask for it," she answered.

"I see." Booth leaned forward and kissed her, ignoring the soft gasp that escaped her lips. "So…you didn't want to make me ask for it, so you provided a scenario that would…"

"Ramp you up, as you said."

His lips quirked up a bit. "So what," he pointed to the TV. "The gorilla sex…that was supposed to turn me on?"

She smiled and then reached for the remote, turning the television off. "Yes, although I _was_ enjoying it from an anthropological standpoint."

"I see" Booth repeated, surprising her when he clamped onto her legs, rocking forward with enough momentum to lift from the chair, not stopping until he had her pinned to the nearest wall. With smooth charm, he didn't do anything but rotate his hips between hers.

Her arms had wrapped around his neck for support, and they stayed there, even as he released her legs from his grasp to pull his shirt over his head. She kept her thighs clamped to his hips, leaning back against the wall for leverage. "Oh…"

Booth grinned, enjoying the way he was helping her take _the edge_ off. "Using anthropology on me again, huh, Bones?"

She blinked and then opened lust filled eyes, and it hit him like a sock to the gut. Damn she was so hot. "Yes" she whispered. "I've studied you and noticed things you enjoy."

He grunted at the way her hands clenched to his bare shoulders. "I do not enjoy gorilla sex."

She laughed and rubbed against him again. "But as a male, your body will react to sexual stimuli, and I might also add that it's quite revealing, anthropologically, that you are so aroused by my wearing men's clothing."

Booth reached between them and gripped the front of the shirt she was wearing. "Not men's clothes, Bones. That's not what turns me on." He leaned in and began sucking the skin at the base of her throat, nearly frantic with lust at the combination of her perfume and his fabric softener. "_My_ clothes." He hissed against her neck, yanking the shirt open in one firm motion, sending tiny black buttons scattering over the floor. "_My_ shirt, Bones…mine."

She smirked and reached down to unzip his pants. "Well, that's _your_ shirt you just ripped."

"Mmhmm…" he agreed, letting his lips move down to settle against her right breast, sucking hard before pulling back and licking softly. "And you are going to sew those buttons back on for me, aren't you, Bones? Isn't that what a woman would do, _anthropologically_?"

She moaned out a laugh. "Hardly…" She wrapped his hand around his firm length, enjoying the way he paused and groaned, shoving his hips forward into her hand. Brennan began a tight, pumping motion, designed with a month's experience to really make him crazy. "Only I get to use anthropology."

"Is that…so?" he rasped, plowing forward into her touch, even as he began to suck harder at her skin. One of his hands settled back between her legs. Neither one of them had the strength to hold her up any longer, especially when he used his thumb to caress her clit before sliding it into her opening, the curve of his thumb providing amazing friction along her sensitive nerve endings. "You gonna science me up, Bones?"

Her feet hit the floor, but her legs remained wide open and accommodating to him. "You better believe it." she hissed, wrapping her arms around him. In a shocking move, she spun their bodies so his back was flush against the wall. Booth let out a sharp breath at the coolness against his back, combined with her hot heat all along his front. Just as he was about to grasp her head to pull her in for a kiss, she sank down to her knees and swallowed him up.

"Ohhhhhhhhhh _yeah_" he grunted, his hips rocking in tight circles. She always knew what he needed, fast, slow, hard, soft, sexy, sweet, all of it Bones…just… "BONES!" he shouted as she scraped her index fingernails in the creases where his legs met his hips. "Come on, baby. Stop, or I'll come."

She pulled back, a saucy grin on her face, even as she continued her torturously slight scraping of his skin. "That's okay. You deserve it. You caught the bad guy."

He smirked; he couldn't help it. Hell _yes_ he caught the bad guy, and _hell yes_ this was great reward. Except… "Bones, come on. You helped, didn't you? You should get some of the reward."

She leaned back over him and began kissing and sucking him. "I thought I was" she murmured, and Booth's chest filled with gratitude and happiness and love even as his knees practically gave out at the sensations she was creating up and down his penis. With a shuddered sigh, he stepped back and reached down to pull her up by the shoulders. He kissed her for a few moments, and when he tried to turn her back around against the wall, she resisted, and stepped away.

"Bones?"

With another smile, she walked over and stood beside his new recliner, running her fingertips over the back, one eyebrow arched toward him.

Booth's eyes widened, "That's my new chair, Bones. We don't want it to get messy."

Brennan rolled her eyes and sighed, reaching for a blanket to lay on the seat of the chair, "Happy now? Get over here."

Booth laughed and walked toward her, eyeing her for a moment. "So what do you have in mind?"

Brennan placed her hands on the armrests and leaned forward, inviting Booth to take her from behind. "Perhaps doing it this way will help you relieve some of your stress from the day."

_What stress? _Booth wanted to ask, considering the fact that his entire body had eased the moment he walked in the door to see her. "Nah, Bones. I want to look into your eyes when you're about to scream my name."

She laughed and pushed off from the chair. "Have a seat, then."

Booth did, and opened his arms to her, kissing her as soon as she settled onto his lap. He could feel the sides of her mouth turn down in a frown when she wasn't able to fully rest against him, and he smiled against her lips, reaching down with one hand to the side of the chair. With one pull, the chair fell backward and the footrest popped forward. The position pressed their hips together perfectly.

"Ah…" Brennan purred, rubbing her wet heat over his length, pressing him between her body and his stomach. "Much better."

Booth agreed with a chuckle and began running his hand up and down her back, enjoying the warmth of her body against his in contrast to the cooler leather against his back. His eyes glazed over when she sat up and centered the tip of his cock right to her entrance, sliding down him in one smooth stroke. Her hair was down and dark and straight, like he liked it. Well, hell, he liked her pretty much in any way, but right now, he was mesmerized by her pale skin in comparison to the soft strands trailing over her shoulders. His large hands cupped her arms, keeping them at her sides, and when he stretched his thumbs inward, he could slide them lightly against her nipples. He kept his hands still and let her move how she wanted, and soon, the friction she was creating, both against his hands and around his penis was more than he could take. His whole body tightened, and he clenched his jaw, trying to hold back.

"Come, Bones. Please baby…"

"You come" she challenged. "You first…"

Her eyes sparkled as his narrowed. Booth grunted as he sat up, setting the chair upright again. Brennan gasped as the motion caused his shaft to hitch higher up within her, her legs now almost painfully bent at her knees. Booth used his hands to cup the backs of her legs and in a flash, he had her on her back, her hair falling down his legs as her own legs were lifted into the air, feet pointing to the ceiling, the backs of her legs pressed against the leather of the chair. She'd never done anything like this, and judging from the look on Booth's face as he used one hand to cup the back of her head, he was kind of surprised it had ended up this way, too. But she had to admit that the fit between them was amazing. His long length was deep inside of her. She couldn't move; all she could to was lay there as he rocked forward and back.

Booth's control took another hit as he felt her legs fall a bit until they were wrapped around his neck and shoulders. The backs of her knees hit right at the base of his neck, and he couldn't think of a sexier place to feel a woman's legs.

Brennan watched as Booth's eyes nearly crossed from the sensation of pounding into her, and she saw the way his lips were trembling and parting. She knew that look. It was the same way his lips twitched when he was about to kiss her. Knowing that he was too far away to kiss, she reached up and let one of her hands rest against his face. Booth took the cue and rested his cheek against her palm for a moment before moving her hand to his face. He began to gently kiss the center of her palm, even as he let his other hand slide to her heat to mimic the motion against her clit.

"Ah…oh, _Booth_. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes…yesyesyesyesyesyes…" Brennan chanted in a litany of praise. "Harder. More. Yes, more, Booth. Oh, Booth."

He grunted his response, and then shoved into her faster and deeper, especially when she lifted her free hand to caress her own breasts. The sight moved him to passion, and he couldn't help but begin to suck on her hand and fingers, letting his teeth and mouth scrape against her skin the way he wanted to be kissing the rest of her body. When his lips closed in on the tender spot between her thumb and index finger, Brennan froze before spasming so intensely Booth had to use both of his hands under her head to keep her from falling. The feel of her coming around him, tighter and closer than ever, it seemed, caused him to do the same, and his erection warmed and lengthened before a deep shudder racked his body, nothing but the sound of her name on his lips.

Once they were both still, Booth pulled in a deep breath, looking down at her. She smiled and let her legs open to the sides before she rested them wide open, one on each arm of the chair. The image she presented, literally spread before him like an invitation to endless wonder, was more than he could take, and summoning the last vestiges of his strength, Booth shifted forward, standing up.

Brennan immediately locked her legs around his waist, gasping at his strength, even as he pulled her up to kiss him as he carried her back to their bedroom.

When he laid her on the mattress and then rolled over to let her collapse fully on him, she ran her hands up and down his stomach, enjoying the smooth ropes of his muscles there, still working from his exertion. "You're so good, Booth."

His breath left him in a small gasping laugh, even as he pulled her down for another kiss. "You make me that way, Bones."

She smirked at him, both clearly disbelieving and also proud of her accomplishment.

"You know, Bones…" he wrapped his arms around her, enjoying her soft breath against his neck. "I've been doing the math, and--"

"What kind of math?" she yawned as she settled against his chest. "Addition or Multiplication or something? You should have told me. I like doing math. I would have done it with you."

"No…" Booth chuckled. "Not that kind of math. I meant--"

"Not that kind of math?" she interrupted again. "All mathematics is based on addition Booth, in some way. If it wasn't that, then what was it?"

Booth smiled and smoothed her hair away from her face. "It's just an expression. It means I've been thinking."

Her brow furrowed a bit, and he leaned up to kiss it smooth.

"Thinking about what, Booth?"

His head settled back against the pillow, and he massaged her shoulders in his hands. "Well, I realized that I only got six nights during my fantasy week…the first night you just explained your proposition, so…"

Brennan's eyes closed and then opened in concentration. "So you wish for me to plan another fantasy for you? Okay, I can do that. How do you feel about acting like a sexy--"

"Nah, Bones. I'm choosing what we do. And…it's not really a fantasy. It's more that I just want to be able to tell you…"

He trailed off and bit his bottom lip for a moment. "Actually, I kind of want it to be a surprise."

Brennan frowned, even as she settled on the mattress near him, letting him wrap one arm around her to pull her closer. "I don't really like surprises."

"I'm aware of that, Bones" Booth murmured, leaning in to kiss her eyelids. "But do you trust me?"

She was silent for a moment, and then her fingers settled in the grooves of his stomach muscles, lightly resting there. "Yes, I trust you. Of course I do, Booth."

He kissed her lips then, pulling her even closer. "Okay, Bones. We'll talk about it more tomorrow."

"Mmhmmm…" she mumbled sleepily. "Tomorrow…"

As she fell asleep, Booth felt his own body relax from the tension of the day, even as his mind played out his plan for the next day…

**--b&b--**

**Saturday: 9:45 AM**

_As she walked toward her kitchen, she noticed his keys were gone and that his jacket wasn't hanging on the hook near the door, either. Frowning, she opened her cell phone to call him, but when she heard it ring on the kitchen counter, she realized she had no way of getting in touch with him._

_Staring at his cell phone for a moment, she didn't notice the knock on her door. But when her visitor knocked again, Brennan blinked and set her phone down, smoothing her hands down her sides as she walked toward her door. Without looking to see who it was, she unlocked the door and opened it._

"_Booth?"_

_He stood across the threshold in his gray suit, one hand cupping a tray with two cups of coffee. His eyes were serious, and for a moment, she saw uncertainty, almost as if…_

_But then he was setting the coffee on the ground, and before she knew it, he was cupping her face in his hands and kissing her as if he couldn't wait another moment to do so…_

"Booth!" Brennan muffled against his lips, pushing him back for a moment to stare into his eyes.

He pulled back, and his eyes were searching hers, and then the side of his mouth tipped up with a small smile. "Good morning, Bones."

Booth could see the concern in her gaze, and he felt a bit sorry for the way he'd acted without explaining, but…

Pulling in a deep breath, he began.

"Bones…for about two and a half years, almost every night, I'd tell myself, 'Okay, tomorrow's the day. Tomorrow you are going to wake up, get two cups of coffee, go over to Bones' apartment and tell her you love her'. But Bones, I just never got the nerve. I'd wake up, and get the coffee, and knock on your door, and you'd answer, and I'd just…"

He trailed off as he saw her eyes had widened further. Well, hell, maybe this wasn't the best approach. "Bones, do you understand what I'm saying here?"

Her eyes searched his for a moment, and she tilted her head to the side, confused. "I think perhaps you were attempting to make up for lost opportunities."

Booth's chest relaxed in deep sigh. "Yes. You're a genius, you know that, Bones?"

"Um…yes" she stared at him, then looked down at the coffee by his feet. "That I am confident of, Booth, but…"

He chuckled, and then wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in for another kiss, this one long and lingeringly sweet. "Bones…" he whispered against her lips. "Every damn night I wanted to come over here, knock on your door and just kiss you. When we'd work a case, and I'd drop you off, I wanted to kiss you. When you would answer your door, I wanted to kiss you. Do you understand?"

Her hands slid over his suit covered shoulders. "I believe so. But why didn't you ever do that? I would not have complained, Booth. I can say with a fair certainty that I would have enjoyed you kissing me."

Booth smiled at her. "I don't know. Either the moment just wouldn't be right, or I would chicken out, or someone would interrupt, or…well, the last time I knocked on your door like that…"

"I had Mark here," Brennan realized and met Booth's eyes.

He shrugged a shoulder. "Yeah. That kind of…"

Brennan frowned. "You never really came over here after that, did you?"

Booth swallowed and shifted his weight, letting his hands reach up to take hold of hers. "It was just too much for me. It felt like every time I would think about coming over here, I'd imagine him walking out from your bedroom, and I just couldn't…"

"But that's in the past…" Brennan clarified, and Booth leaned down to kiss her with a smile.

"Yep, the past. Although…I did notice that you seemed to come over to _my_ apartment a lot more after that."

It was Brennan's turn to fidget a bit. "I liked it when you invited me," she admitted. "Almost no one ever invites me anywhere, ever. And…" she flushed. "After seeing Agent Perotta at your apartment that one night, I realized I didn't…want that."

Instead of teasing her about that, Booth just pulled her into a hug. "I'm glad we have all of that settled, Bones."

"Me too" Brennan agreed, and then pulled back, meeting his eyes. "Was that your fantasy? That's it? Kissing me in the doorway?"

Booth grinned and then pulled back as well, leaning down to pick up the coffee he'd brought with him. "It's just the start of it, Bones. Get your shoes on; we've got a big day ahead of us."

Brennan stared at him for a moment, and then she turned quickly putting on a pair of boots. "Is it cold outside?"

Booth eyed her sweater and jeans. "Nah, I think you'll be good."

Brennan nodded and followed him through the door. "Do I know where we're going?"

Booth pressed his hand to her back as he escorted her out of the building. "Yes and no." When she opened her mouth, he held up his other hand. "I know, I know, that's a contradiction, but…it's still sort of true. Everywhere we're going today, you've been there before. We've both been there before."

Brennan watched as he walked around to the driver's side of the SUV, and when he got in, he turned and smiled at her.

"Bones, today, I'm going to take you to a few places, and I'm going to say and do some things I wish I'd done a long time ago."

Booth watched as she frowned and looked out the window. His chest tightened and he felt worried about his plan. "Bones…did you have something else planned for the day?"

She met his eyes and shook her head. "No, I just…I just thought we'd agreed we didn't have regrets. That we had the right timing."

Booth nodded and let his hand reach between their bodies to clasp hers. "We did. We did agree Bones, and we did have the right timing. I just want to show you a little bit of how I felt about you, all these years. Okay?"

She was silent for a moment, and then she nodded, squeezing his hand a little. "Okay…"

Booth leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Great. First stop…the gun range."

**--b&b--**

Once they arrived, Brennan led the way down toward the range, smoothing her fingers against the chain link there when all of a sudden, Booth placed one hand on her hip, pressing her back into the wall. With a deadly charming smile, he leaned both of his elbows on either side of her head, his lips curling up in a smirk.

Brennan clearly remembered this exact scenario, and her own smile crossed her lips. "I'm pretty sure I knew what you were thinking here." She challenged, and Booth laughed.

"Is that so?"

"Yes" Brennan nodded, smoothing two of her fingers down his red tie to his waistline before tugging gently. Booth groaned a bit, and his hips shot forward. "You were thinking that you could handle me, that you'd figured me out."

Booth laughed once and then curled his fingers into the fence behind her head. "Kind of the opposite, Bones. I was thinking that I wanted to handle you, and I desperately wanted to figure you out. Plus you made me so freaking mad…" His words were accusatory, but his lips were smiling as he leaned in and pressed his hips against hers, leaving a trail against her jawline with his own cheek. "And I wanted to do this," he whispered as he rotated his hips before pressing a kiss to her lips, immediately invading her mouth with his tongue. When she tried to touch him, he grabbed her hands and forced them over her head, the motion rocking them both back into the chain fence, causing a groan to wrench from both of their mouths.

Booth pulled back and rested his forehead against hers. "Wonder what would have happened if I'd done that," he smirked.

Brennan matched his expression and then pulled one of her hands free, reaching down without warning to grab his erection, pulling gently, but with authority. "I probably would have punched you right here and walked away."

Booth winced a bit, but also chuckled, even as she began a light stroking motion. With a deep sigh, he stilled her wrist and pulled back. "Not so fast, Bones. We've got a long day ahead of us. It's a marathon, not a sprint." He couldn't resist leaning in to press a sweet kiss against her lips, and before he pulled back, he whispered. "You were so hot, then. And you are now, too, but what I really liked about you was that you were passionate about solving the case. _My_ case. I knew you were going to make me crazy, but I wanted you on my side so badly."

Brennan's face softened. "I wanted that too."

Booth smiled and then pulled back all of the way, reaching out with his hand toward her. She accepted it and then took a step. "What's next?"

"You'll have to see, Bones," was all he answered.

**--b&b--**

Brennan's eyes widened as Booth pulled the SUV to a stop in a parking slot outside of a church. "You're bringing me to church?"

Booth laughed at the disgust in her eyes, and he motioned through the windshield. "Don't you recognize this one?"

Brennan peered out and shook her head, and then looked over to see Booth getting out of his side of the SUV. Curious, she opened her door and followed him to the large ornate doors. "Booth, I'm not going to participate in any of your religious…oh…" she paused, once she realized where they were.

Booth turned and looked at her, reaching out with his hand once again. She accepted it, and then followed him toward the front, moving into a pew and sitting down next to him.

For a moment, she wasn't sure how to react. Why would Booth bring her here, of all places?

"Bones…" he was leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees and staring forward, "You know, there have been a lot of things that have scared me in my life. I don't like admitting it, but it's true. But nothing…" he sighed and then sat back, meeting her eyes. "Nothing scared me like the way I felt when you were buried alive."

"Booth…" she whispered. "I've felt that too, you know…"

Their eyes held, slight pain in both of them, and Booth leaned in to kiss her. "I know, Bones." He didn't pull back, but instead just placed his palm against her cheek, smiling sadly when she rested her face there.

"I meant it when I said I knew you wouldn't give up" she whispered, and Booth nodded, placing his other hand against her other cheek, cupping her face so gently, she almost thought he thought she might break.

"I know, Bones." He swallowed and then looked around the church where they'd talked after her rescue. "And I meant it when I said I knew you wouldn't give up. I think in that moment, I sort of knew we were more than just partners, you know?"

Brennan's breath hitched in her throat, and she gasped. Booth met her eyes again, and saw a light he'd not really seen before in her eyes. "What is it, Bones?"

She shook her head slightly, reaching up to rub her thumbs on the insides of his wrists. "I felt a very strong bond to you as well."

They stared at one another for a long moment, both of their thoughts unsure. "No regrets though, right?" Booth whispered, and eventually, Brennan nodded.

"No regrets."

**--b&b--**

As they left the church, Booth turned to her. "How about some lunch at the diner?"

Brennan nodded and smiled. "That sounds good to me."

Booth grinned and then quickly made his way across town. Once they arrived, and were just walking around the corner, Brennan stopped him with a hand on his arm. "Wait."

Booth paused and looked at her, a curious smile on his face. "What, Bones? Not in the mood for the diner? That's okay, we can--"

"No," she interrupted. "I meant wait a minute. Right here, in this spot…you were going to kiss me."

Booth's eyes widened, and he looked around. Once he realized the exact spot they were in, he flushed, and his eyes were a little panicked. "No, no I wasn't. Bones, come on…"

"Yes, you were," she insisted, her tone not accusatory but merely factual. "You were telling me about my dad, and then you said there was more than one kind of family, and you…" she trailed off and shifted her weight from one foot to the other, "and you made me look at you." Her voice was low, and her eyes were wary as if she was daring him to refute her. Well, hell…

"Bones, I was with Cam then. I would never cheat on any woman I was with, you know that."

Her gaze tightened for a moment, and Booth sighed. "Bones,come on. Cam is my friend. She's _your_ friend. I wasn't going to kiss you that day."

"You're saying you didn't even think about it?"

Well she pretty much had him there. "I…I'm not saying I didn't _think_ about it, _maybe_ for a tiny _second_, but…"

"I thought about it," Brennan admitted. "I…I thought about it."

Her disclosure gave Booth a moment of pause, and he realized they were getting off track. So he smiled. "Look, Bones. Let's have lunch, and then I'll take you someplace where I _really _wanted to kiss you. Big time, okay?"

Her eyes widened and she smiled. "Okay."

Booth grinned and led the way inside of the diner, leading them to their regular table. "Actually, Bones, there are lots of places where I wanted to kiss you big time, you know?"

She leaned forward. "You mean besides the lips?"

"No…" Booth hissed and blushed, looking around the diner and clearing his throat. "Well, yes…" he admitted at her raised eyebrow. "Yes and no. I meant…places like…you know, places. Like Vegas, and London and Washington, and--"

"The circus?" Brennan asked, and Booth's eyes widened. He blinked and sat back in his chair, a slightly amazed smile on his face.

"Well, yes, Bones. The circus." He winked at her, and smiled when she blushed a bit. But she recovered quickly and leaned closer to him across the table.

"What about here?"

Booth's eyes narrowed in pleasure as he met her halfway, his lips brushing lightly against hers for a moment. "Definitely here."

Their noses rubbed against each others for just a hint of a moment until they realized they weren't alone. Flushing slightly, they both pulled back and turned toward their smiling waitress.

"The usual?" she asked, and Booth nodded, resting his arm against the back of the chair next to him. He winked at Brennan and then looked to the waitress.

"The usual…"

**--b&b—**

They enjoyed their lunch, even if they spent more time stealing glances at one another than eating. But after awhile, both of their plates were empty. Booth tossed some bills onto the table and then stood up, tucking his hand in Brennan's as they made their way out of the diner.

Brennan watched as he kept stealing glances toward her as they drove to their next destination. She was curious to know where he was taking her next, but nothing could have prepared her for the way he pulled off of the interstate onto the exit that led to the pier. Neither one of them spoke as he parked the SUV, but both of them got out and walked, side by side, to the edge of the wooden dock.

Brennan twisted her hands in front of her, as Booth pulled in a deep breath.

"Bones, remember when you asked me how I knew I loved you?"

Her eyes met his, surprised. "Yes, I remember. Why?"

"Well…" Booth's lips pursed as he considered his next words. "I told you that in some ways, I just knew, but what I didn't tell you was when I knew I loved you." Booth watched as his partner's eyes grew wide, and almost panicked. He gripped her elbows in his hands to steady her against the wind from the waterline. The breeze was blowing her hair in the exact same way it had been that day, and for a moment he could only stand and stare at her, beautiful blue eyes, the same color as the water. His heart twisted for a sharp moment, and he had to close his eyes and open them back up to his current reality. "Bones, the moment you told me Sully wanted you to go with him, the moment I told you that you should go, I knew I was lying. I knew I was a lying sack of shit, because what I wanted more than anything in the world was to kiss you and pull you close and beg you, fucking _beg_ you not to leave me, ever."

"Booth…" she whispered, stunned by his confession.

"I knew in that moment that I was in love with you. I loved you, but I didn't have the guts to tell you that. Bones…you have no idea how amazing it felt to stand here and watch you watch Sully sail off. And when you turned around…"

Brennan felt his hands tighten on her arms almost painfully, and then he was kissing her, his lips bruising against hers as he desperately tried to convey the gratitude he felt for what he perceived to be a second chance. She remembered the way her stomach had dropped at the sight of him standing there, watching her, and she clenched her hands in his hair, pulling him closer, kissing him back just as fiercely, trying to convey back to him the same emotion he wanted to give to her.

After long moments, their lips stilled, but they remained locked in one another's arms, their bodies a guard for one another against the wind.

"I love you, Bones." Booth murmured.

"I know," she answered, letting her hands smooth up his back in comfort. "I know you do, Booth. In fact…" she pulled back and tilted her head to the side. "You know…Sully thought I was staying for you. He actually thought you told me to stay."

Booth chuckled and shook his head, even as he pulled back, "What did you tell him?"

Brennan smiled and placed her hand in his, even as they turned to walk away from the edge of the pier. Booth released her hand and then wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to him. She laughed and leaned into his side. "The truth, of course, which was that you had told me to go."

Booth rolled his eyes. "I was an idiot."

Brennan laughed again. "I don't know. I'm here, aren't I?"

"Yes…yes you are, Bones," he grinned and tugged her even closer. Brennan lifted her hand and wrapped her fingers with his against her shoulder.

"Sully actually told me that what I do is important, but not important enough to be my whole life."

Booth stopped then and frowned. "Look, Sully was a good guy and all, but he was a real idiot. Why would he even say something like that? Obviously he didn't even know--"

Brennan stilled him with a finger against his lips. "Actually, Sully was right. He was just wrong about who…" She smiled at her partner. "What we do is important, but it's not everything we are, right?"

Booth's eyes searched hers for a moment, and Brennan felt a surge of warmth in her stomach at the look of pride that crossed his eyes. "Yeah, Bones. Hell yeah."

She chuckled as he turned her and walked the rest of the way to the SUV.

**--b&b--**

Brennan laughed when Booth next parked the SUV in a spot near the Lincoln Memorial. "What's so funny, Bones?"

She smiled as she looked at him. "You were so drunk that night."

Booth chuckled and tilted his head to the side, chagrined. "I admit to that…come on."

They ran together, hand in hand, up the steps until Booth stopped and pulled her down beside him. "It's not quite the same in the middle of the afternoon, but still…" He moved down two steps below her, and then leaned his head in her lap, like he'd wanted to do that night.

"I like you, Bones."

Brennan's hand stilled and fluttered, and then she rested it on the back of Booth's neck, letting her fingertips slide just against the softness of his hair there. He closed his eyes in pleasure, and she smiled, letting her other hand rub against his shoulder.

"I really, really like you, Bones." He repeated. "And I know a lot of people said we should be together for a lot of reasons…but the most important is that I like you. You're my favorite person in the world, along with Parker. You make me laugh, and you're smart, and you kick the ass of any bad guy that comes near."

Brennan laughed at that, and Booth opened his eyes, smiling up at her. "That's pretty awesome, Bones."

Brennan thought back to her years of life without this intimacy with Booth, and she wondered how she'd managed without touching him like this. "I…I like you too, Booth. You're my favorite person. Except the founder of the Jeffersonian, of course," she teased. "And all of the scientists whose work I so admire. I mean--"

"Okay, okay" Booth groused. "I get the picture."

Brennan laughed and then leaned down to kiss him. "I remember this case very vividly. I remember how sad I felt for that girl whose mother was dead." Her eyes grew serious, and Booth began to run his fingers against her knee.

"You were awesome that day, Bones."

A shy and pleased smile crossed her lips. "And I went to visit my dad in jail. I'd forgotten about that." Brennan moved down a step until she was face to face with Booth, their bodies both leaning back slightly against the steps. "And I learned something about you, Booth."

"Oh yeah?" he hummed. "And what would that be?"

Brennan shook her head at his sexy tone, "That you are a very cute drunk."

Booth laughed and then leaned in and kissed her, smiling against her lips as he laughed again. Brennan loved the feeling, even as she smiled against his mouth too. Soon, they were smiling and kissing and laughing, looking into one another's eyes.

"I like you best, Booth."

He nodded and kissed the tip of her nose. "I like you best too, Bones."

With a sigh, he sat up and looked at his watch, "Come on, Bones. Gotta get going."

She groaned but let him pull her up. "Where do we have to go next?"

Booth grinned and motioned for her to follow him. "Next stop, Sweets' office."

Brennan's eyes widened as she followed him, skipping down the steps. "Sweets?!"

**--b&b--**

"Ah, Dr. Brennan, Agent Booth" Sweets smiled as he motioned them into his office. "I must admit that I was surprised when Booth called me, asking for a session on a Saturday night, but…as luck would have it, I was free. How can I help you?"

Booth and Brennan sat across from him and Brennan looked at Booth, wondering what he had in mind.

Booth shifted in his seat for a moment, and then nodded toward Sweets. "Well, actually Sweets, it's more that I need to say something to Bones, here, and I kind of needed you to hear it too."

Sweets steepled his hands in front of him. "I see, how interesting. Well, proceed."

One of Booth's eyebrows cocked up, but he just shook his head and turned toward his partner. "Bones…even if there were no more murders, I'd still want to be with you every single day."

Her eyes widened, and for a moment, she looked at Sweets in suspicion. Yes, the young doctor knew they were living together in a romantic relationship, but…

"Bones…" Booth was still speaking. "I would want to see you every day, and sure as hell for more than just coffee."

Brennan's breath caught in her throat, and she smiled, even as she felt a flush creep up her neck. "I feel the same about you."

Booth smiled and nodded and then turned in his seat, patting his knees for a moment before moving to stand up. "Well, that about wraps it up. Thanks there, Sweets."

"Oh, wait…" Sweets stood up and motioned for Booth to return to his seat. "Not so fast. I have something I want to add."

Brennan's face showed surprise. "Something you want to add?" She chuckled. "Do you also want to have coffee with me every day?"

Sweets blushed and Booth cleared his throat.

"Ah, no, Dr. Brennan" Sweets sat down. "I just wanted to make sure you both knew that I was right about you."

Booth leaned forward. "What's that now?"

Sweets nodded. "That day in your office, I knew you both cared for one another. I called it a 'deep emotional attachment', which you both denied, by the way. I just want to, you know…I was right, all along."

"I don't think so." Booth scoffed and stood up, motioning for Brennan to follow him. She did so, and Sweets just shook his head as he watched them begin to leave.

"Fine, fine…" he waved his hand in the air. "Heaven forbid I actually could have been right about something like that."

His only answer was the closing of his office door, leaving him in silence, on a Saturday afternoon. He smiled to himself and looked around, remembering years of sessions. "I'm awesome."

**--b&b--**

Booth and Brennan laughed as they made their way out of the FBI building. And when Brennan noticed that Booth was pulling into the parking lot of the Jeffersonian, she turned to him with a wary grin. "Don't tell me you're going to admit your feelings for me in front of everyone here."

Booth smiled slightly and looked at her. "I don't think anyone else is going to be here, do you?"

Brennan looked around to the empty parking lot and shook her head. "You're probably right."

When Booth didn't say anything else, she just opened her door and then followed him into the lab, not stopping until he was standing on the forensic platform, next to her lab table.

"Booth?"

He could hear the hesitation in her voice, and he wondered if this was even a good idea. With a swallow, he turned toward her. "Bones…you're a great teacher."

Immediately, her throat worked up and down, and her fingers fluttered against her side. "Well, thank you" she tried to cover her reaction with an answer, even as her fingertips settled against the cool metal of her lab table.

Booth watched her for a moment and then took her fingers in his before he picked her up by the waist and set her on the table, moving to stand between her legs. It wasn't sexual, but just comforting when he placed her hands on his chest and held them there. "You have always been a great teacher, and you still are."

Her cheeks softened, and for a moment, he saw a bit of pain in her eyes. "I…"

"I'm sorry about Zack, Bones" Booth whispered. "And I'm sorry that I wasn't more understanding then. It was just a lot of wrong going on at the same time, and then…"

Her fingers had tightened in his jacket, and he pulled her closer, letting her head rest in the space between his neck and his shoulder. She wasn't crying, at least, he didn't think so, but her breathing was slightly irregular. Booth murmured sounds of love to her as he tried to encourage her. "I'm so sorry, Bones."

"It's not your fault" she pulled back and met his eyes. "It's…it's not anyone's fault. I know that now."

He nodded. "But I'm still sorry about it. I should have told you that then. I should have…" Booth cupped her chin in his hand and then moved in to press a kiss of comfort against her lips. "I should have been more open with you about it. But the truth was that I was feeling guilty myself. I thought that if I had spent more time with Zack, or maybe let you spend more time with him, that it never would have happened. And I thought…"

When he trailed off, Brennan let her fingertips rest against his smooth cheek. "You thought what?"

Booth sighed. "Remember how mad you were at me that Zack had gone to Iraq in the first place? Well, maybe you were right all along. I knew what war was like; I knew what it does to a man, and so maybe…I don't know, maybe he lost a little of himself over there, and maybe it was all my fault."

Brennan's eyes searched his face, and she leaned forward to press her forehead against his. "_I don't know_…"

She was being so honest, and it broke his heart. He kissed her, and she cupped the back of his head, keeping him in place as she kissed him back with passion and insecurity. "Can we talk about something else?" she asked when she pulled back.

Booth smiled and nodded, wrapping her legs around him for just a moment. "Do you want me to tell you about all of the times I almost tossed you right here on your lab table to have my evil way with you?"

Brennan tilted her head to the side in disbelief. "Hopefully not when there were human remains on there."

"Ugh," Booth groaned and pulled back. "Gross, Bones. I mean, you're hot and all, but…jeez, no!"

Brennan laughed, and he held up his hand. "And don't say I'm a prude, because I don't care. I'm not having sex with you near a dead body, Bones."

She smiled and tucked her arm in his, even as they walked back down the platform steps. "Don't worry, Booth. That is not something that I think I would find interesting sexually…"

**--b&b--**

They bickered as they drove back through the city, and Brennan was surprised when Booth pulled up in front of the courthouse. But she knew immediately what he was doing there.

"Do we have to go stand there?" she asked, and he turned toward her.

"Nah, Bones. We don't have to. But I do have something to say to you. Is that okay?"

She nodded. "Yes, I suppose that's okay."

Booth looked past her toward the stone steps, and then met her eyes, surprised when he saw slight fear there. "Bones, what's the matter?"

Brennan looked down to her hands in her lap. "Do you remember when you took the stand?"

Booth's nostrils flared, and his hand smoothed down his tie, "Yes, I remember."

She was silent for long moments, and he waited, wondering what she was thinking.

"Did you hate me, Booth? Even just for a moment?" Brennan whispered. "Is that why you left the courthouse once my father came outside?"

Booth ran his hand against the back of his neck and cracked his jaw. "I didn't hate you, Bones. I hated _myself_. For even thinking for one second that you could have committed that murder. I mean,--"

"But I led you to think that" she insisted, her eyes bright, desperate to make him see. "Booth…I know I did. It was on purpose, but…"

When she didn't continue, Booth cupped her elbow in his palm, "But what, Bones?"

She closed her eyes. "I have never forgotten that look in your eyes, when you looked straight at me. It was like the entire courtroom disappeared. 'That's a lot of heart, Bones', you said, and I thought you'd never speak to me again. You have know idea how I felt when I turned to see you join me on the courthouse steps, Booth." Brennan opened her eyes to see him staring at her face.

"Bones…" he sighed and smiled sadly. "It rocked me to the core, I can't deny that. But I had to be with you. I couldn't even be in the courthouse for the verdict. I had to be with you. I had to see you, to make sure you were okay. And then…your father came outside, and your family, and…"

Brennan heard the vulnerability in his tone and knew this was what he'd wanted to tell her here. "And what, Booth?"

He nodded. "I was jealous. I was happy for you and also felt so lonely. I thought for sure that you would become closer to Max and then I'd…well, I'd be alone again, and…"

He stopped talking when she launched herself at him, ceasing his words with her mouth. Brennan kissed him passionately, her arms clutching him to her as she tried to communicate her meaning through physical touch. "Booth…" she pulled back and smoothed her hand over his forehead in affection. "You're my family."

He pulled in a shuddered breath and kissed her back, letting his own arms wrap around her. Soon they were lost in sensation as they gripped one another, feeling the desperation of loneliness as a shadow eager to creep in. They'd agreed on no regrets, but it was so easy to imagine the solitary existence each would have if it weren't for the other, and the mere thought spurred them on to a fervent expression of love and commitment.

"Bones…" he whispered against her lips, her cheeks, her neck and her hands. "Temperance…you're my family, too. You're everything to me."

It was an impossibility, she knew. No one could be everything to someone, but in that moment, Brennan found she was loath to discourage him, and so she just pulled back and smiled. "I love you."

Booth pulled in a deep breath through his nose and then without a response, he turned and put the SUV back into drive, working his way the few blocks to where he wanted to next talk to her. Once they reached Founding Fathers, he cut the engine and turned toward her. "Wait here, will you?"

Brennan nodded and then watched as he made his way inside of the restaurant.

**--b&b--**

For almost twenty minutes, Brennan sat in silence, watching the door of the bar, waiting for Booth to exit. And when he did, she was surprised to see him carrying two plates of food, unwrapped with two beers tucked under his arm. He paused outside the door, and even from far away, she could tell he knew she was watching. He hesitated for a moment, and then Brennan gasped as he made his way to the park bench and then sat down.

Immediately, Brennan unbuckled her seatbelt and opened her door, barely looking both ways before she rushed across the street. But when she reached the bus stop bench, she paused, almost as if she were as unsure as she had been that night; the night of his birthday.

But he just looked up at her with that same smile and tilted his head to the side. Eager to join him, Brennan sat next to him on the bench, pleased that this time she had the faculties of both of her arms for eating.

For several minutes, Booth didn't say anything, and Brennan wondered if maybe he wasn't going to say anything here. After all, he had admitted more to her that night than he had in almost all of their years of partnership. So maybe he just wanted to sit here and have a good memory of this place.

Her vegetable lasagna was good, and she hadn't realized how late it was or how hungry she'd been, but soon she'd finished her plate and was settled back against the bench, watching Booth as he finished his meatloaf and potato salad.

Once he was done, he took both of their plates and set them on the ground, weighed down by their empty beer bottles. "You know, Bones," he began, his gray suit encased shoulders highlighted against the darkness of the city street. "Jared was right. I do sabotage good things in my life."

"Booth…" Brennan hissed. "No, stop this…"

He chuckled sadly, "I know, I know." He met her eyes and shrugged. "I know we've talked about this. And I don't want to dwell on it too much except to say this." He turned and faced her, pulling her hands into his lap, twining her fingers in his. "You're the best thing that has ever happened to me. I don't want to mess that up, in any way. Do you promise you'll always talk to me? You'll always give me a chance to make things right when I mess up?"

The moment grew thick with silence, not because she didn't want to answer him, but because she was truly stunned. But after a moment, she found her voice.

"I promise" Brennan insisted. "Booth, I'm the one who should be asking you this. I'm the one who messed up. I never should have gone with your brother to that banquet. I should have known the moment you said you didn't mind that you did in fact mind."

Booth shook his head. "I should have just told you the truth. I was nervous, very nervous, and I shouldn't have yelled at you, or any of that."

Brennan stared at his face, remembering his emotions and words. Tentatively, she reached up with one hand and smoothed her fingers around his ear. "You're not a loser" she whispered, and his eyes closed in ecstasy. "You're not a loser," Brennan repeated, and his jaw worked back and forth. She let her thumb settle in the cleft of his chin and rubbed gently until he opened his eyes. "You are not a loser."

His eyes were glassy, but she couldn't look away from him. She could see in his eyes that he wanted to believe her and at the same time didn't want to need to believe her. His chest began to almost heave with emotion, and she leaned in to press her lips against his. "Let's go," she whispered, and he nodded, reaching for her elbows to pull her up. Once they were standing, he pulled her into a hug, and she settled her hands against his back, stroking lightly as he inhaled and exhaled against her.

When he stepped back, he smiled and then bent over to pick up their trash, dumping it into the can near the traffic light. Hand in hand, they made their way across the street, and Booth couldn't help but kiss her forehead outside the passenger door before she opened it. Brennan felt a flush of warmth, and smiled tremulously at him as he got into his seat as well. She wasn't sure how much more of this she could take.

**--b&b--**

Booth spared a few glances over toward Brennan as they drove through the city. There were no words between them, and he was okay with that. His own mind was racing from the events of the day, and he'd planned the whole thing. He could only imagine the emotional overload she was experiencing, and based on the past, he knew it was best to just let her think about it, let her process it, otherwise—

"Pull over" she demanded, pressing her hand to the window.

"What?" Booth asked in surprise, but instinctively began to move the SUV over toward his right.

"Pull over, here. Now," She insisted.

He looked out her window and noticed the emergency room parking lot. With a concerned glance toward her, he flipped on the siren and then floored it into a parking space, barely turning off the engine before she was already out of the SUV, walking quickly toward the emergency room entrance.

Booth shoved his keys into his pocket and rushed after her, catching up to her just as she made it inside the hospital. "Bones, what is it? Are you sick? Are you in pain?"

She turned to him with such frantic emotion in her eyes that he began to panic.

"Bones…" he soothed in a low voice, "Tell me what is wrong."

She seemed disbelieving that he didn't know immediately, and he racked his brain to guess when she all of a sudden wrapped her arms around him and pressed her face to his chest. "I almost lost you," she whispered, and Booth froze.

Instantly, he whipped his badge from his waist and flashed it toward the night nurse on duty, shoving Brennan past a set of doors marked private. "Bones…look at me. I'm right here."

She pulled back and nodded. "I know. I knew you were fine physically, but…" her index fingers traced around his hairline. "Your mind. I almost lost the real you."

Booth's heart broke in his chest at the distress in her eyes.

"Booth, you told me a long time ago that if you ever got scared that you would hug me, and I knew you were scared that day, before your surgery. I should have hugged you. I should have told you how I felt."

"Bones…you don't have to do this." He tried to place his hands on her arms, but she just wrenched them away.

"Yes I do, Booth!" Her eyes were bright. "All day you have been making up for what you wanted to say and do in the past, and I need…I should have told you how I felt."

Booth searched her face with his gaze. "How did you feel then?" He watched as she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, even as her fingers tightened in front of her.

"I don't know" she admitted. "But I know that I felt…I had feelings for you, Booth. I could have told you that. But instead, I was scared. And I'd wasted time talking about a baby, when I should have been worried about you."

"Hey, no" Booth insisted, pulling her back into his arms and not letting her go. "You wanting a baby was not a waste of time, Bones…it _wasn't_."

When she didn't reply, Booth felt a stirring in his chest that he hadn't felt for a few months. He pulled back and nudged her chin with his index finger. "Do you still think about having a baby?"

Her eyes were apologetic, and she shrugged a shoulder. "Sometimes," she admitted. "I don't think that it's imperative as a woman to have a baby to fulfill some life purpose, but yes…" her voice trailed off into a husky murmur. "Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have a baby…with you." Her lips parted and her eyes grew warm. "_Your _baby."

Brennan watched as Booth's hips shifted and as his chin jutted out, matching the firm line of his shoulders. All anthropological signs indicating he was interested physically in mating with her. He'd never want to know she was able to see those signs, but it encouraged her nonetheless that he was reacting to her words. "Do you…" she wondered aloud. "Do you ever think about it?"

Booth inhaled a shaky breath and let one of his hands tuck her hair behind her ear. "Yeah, Bones. I think about it." His hands smoothed down her waist and then to the center of her belly where he stared for a moment, pressing his fingers against her skin there. "I think about it."

Brennan bit her bottom lip, even as a warmth she'd never experienced settled beneath his touch. "Maybe we could both think about it and maybe even talk about it sometime."

He nodded. "Sure…yeah, Bones. We can do that."

In that instant, Brennan felt anxious, for something. "Take me home, Booth. Please." The emotions of the day were too much, and she needed stability.

Booth pulled her hands into his and leaned in to kiss her for a moment. "I have one more place I want to go. Please, Bones?"

She met his eyes and saw his request, heard an almost desperate note in the tone of his voice. "Okay, Booth," she agreed.

He nodded solemnly and then led her from the hospital, every once in awhile looking back at her.

Brennan felt the warm glow from his gaze over her entire body, and it wasn't until he had stopped the SUV, walked over to open her door, and led her toward their final destination that she realized where he'd brought her.

"Booth."

He paused and then turned to face her, the carousel behind him. "Bones, please."

She hesitated, even as he pulled her toward the bench there.

In her mind, she knew that he wasn't likely to sever their partnership or relationship, and yet, it was almost impossible for her to convince herself to move her feet. But she looked into his eyes and saw his love for her. That helped her move forward and soon she was sitting next to him, her eyes in front of her.

"I'm not going to ask you if you remember the last time we were here" Booth matched her pose, leaning forward. "Because I know you do, Bones. But I'm wondering if you remember why you came to this park anyways."

Brennan looked over to him, and admired his profile in the dim park light. "I came here to make sure you were okay."

He looked over at her then and met her eyes, a slight smile creasing his lips. "I'll never forget that, Bones. I was so surprised to see you, but another part of me almost knew you were going to show up. And I think…" he sighed. "I think that is what scared me the most. Not the wanting you, although I did. Not any of that…just…the knowing. We knew each other then, and we know each other now. Bones…"

Brennan stopped him with a hand on his arm. "You drew a line that day, Booth."

He nodded and placed his hand on hers. "Yeah, I did, Bones. But the thing is…there's never been a line between us. There never could be. It was way too late for that." His eyes met hers, and he swallowed, squeezing her fingers beneath his. "We were always on the same side of the line, you and me, just waiting for the right time to cross it together."

Brennan knew in her heart that he was right, and the mere fact that she even had that thought proved to her that he was right, and that they'd both been waiting for one another, for the right time. A chill swept through the park, and she shivered. Booth took off his suit jacket and wrapped her in it, pulling her up and wrapping his arms around her as they walked back to the SUV.

As they drove back through the city, more moments flashed through Brennan's mind. Moments like him leaning over a diner table with a smurf, moments like him knocking on her door with food and paperwork, moment after moment of two lives intertwined with one another.

**--b&b--**

For the second night in a row, Booth climbed the stairs to his apartment, took out his keys and opened his door. This time, he motioned in his partner, his lover, his everything ahead of him. When they were inside they walked side by side, back to their bedroom. The emotions and memories of the day almost made it seem like a first time, like their first time, even as they stood by their bed.

Each one removed his or her own clothing, their eyes locked to one another's the entire time. Brennan finished first and then lit a few candles on her bedstand, leaving the room in a soft glow.

Booth watched as she moved the bedspread back and then laid in the center of the bed, her pale skin and sweet contrast to the dark green sheets, her hair fanned over the pillows there. Her arms opened in invitation, and he accepted wordlessly, moving to sit beside her, resting one of his hands on each side of her shoulders. He could see the faint beat of her pulse against her neck, and as he settled all of his weight onto the bed, he moved down so he could rest his cheek against her heart, needing to feel the physical evidence of her existence, needing to connect with her on the most basic of levels.

Her hands moved softly over his back and neck, a touch so elegant and pure and good, he almost wanted to weep with emotion. It had been awhile since he'd been taken back by their story, and he just wanted to soak in it for another moment longer. When she inhaled and exhaled a shaky breath, he knew she was curious about what he was thinking. Booth moved to cover her body with his, everything about her a perfect match, a perfect complement to him. As he kissed her lips, she opened her body to him, and he grew hard at her acceptance. Surprised at her body's immediate response, he settled inside of her. He'd wanted to make love to her all night long, proving to her that she'd made the right choice, and that he still had what it took to please her, but in those sweet seconds, Booth knew that she didn't need the reminder. The entire day had been proof enough.

His throat tightened, and he kissed her throat before looking into her eyes.

"Booth…" she smiled sweetly and ran her hand through his hair with such affection. He smiled in return and wrapped his arms around her.

"Bones…" he whispered, leaning in to kiss her. "The two most important things I'll ever do on this earth are being Parker's father, and loving you."

Her breath hitched in her chest, even as her thighs shifted on either side of his. The sensation caused his hips to rock forward, and she gasped, opening her own body wider to accept him deeper.

"What about your cosmic balance sheet?"

Booth shook his head, pressing open mouthed kisses against her throat and chest. "Not as important. Still important" he admitted. "But not the most important thing. Not anymore. You helped me learn that."

Her eyes were confused and amazed, and she pulled him up to kiss her. "I still want to help you set that right."

He smiled and nodded. "We will. I know you do, Bones, and we will."

She kissed him and wrapped her arms around him. Soon they were moving in perfect tandem, the symbiosis of a rhythm learned long before they'd ever been in a bed together. As Brennan felt Booth begin to gather inside of her, she met his eyes and knew that even though it was an impossibility in this exact moment, they were both thinking the same thing, about what it would be like for him to spill his seed inside of her to create a baby. "Booth…" she gasped, and his head fell back on a moan, even as she tightened and came around him.

He rocked forward inside of her and released, all of the day's emotions and feelings centered into one place, a place where one man and one woman joined together to become one.

Their breaths mingled and then settled into perfect rhythm as they stared at one another. After several minutes, Booth leaned over and blew out the candles Brennan had lit. The room was then encased in darkness, and as he settled back into the mattress, he reached for her. She responded and wrapped her arms around him, joining him. And he kissed her good night.

"I love you, Temperance Brennan."

She pressed her lips to the crease where his neck met his shoulder. "I love you, Seeley Booth."

**--b&b--**

**the end…**

**but for them, just the beginning...**


End file.
